Package handle



A. l. FIELD ETAL 3,315,574

PACKAGE HANDLE April 25, 1967 Filed NOV. lO, 1964 My 2 68%; ...1 F/ 6. 3

zwanv r INVENTORS 52 /4 52 I Alli/V I. r/ao Patented Apr. 25, 1967 3,315,574 PACKAGE HANDLE Allen I. Field, 147 Valley Stream Road, Larc'hmont, N.Y. 10538, and Sidney P. Field, 266 Beach 134th St., Belle Harbor, N.Y. 11694 Filed Nov. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 410,109 7 Claims. (Cl. 93-1) This invention relates to package handles, and more particularly to one which can be manufactured in dif- 'ferent lengths at minimum cost.

A known form of package handle is made of a plastics material and is shaped with arrow-like ends which may be pushed through spaced holes in a box or package. The manufacturer of such handles is faced by a problem in that different customers may request handles of differ ent lengths, with consequent great expense for making and maintaining dies for each different length of handle.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a package handle so designed that it may be made in any desired length without extra die expense. A further object is to provide a package handle which is inexpensive to manufacture even when made in a long length. The handle employs uniform strip material which may be extruded, and which is therefore inexpensive.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a package handle having anchor parts at its ends which are sturdy and which cannot escape from the package hole receiving the same.

Another object is to provide a package handle, the strip material of which may be provided with rounded or beaded edges which strengthen the strip and which have a comfortable feel to the hand carrying the package.

To accomplish the foregoing objects, and such other more specific objects as will hereinafter appear, our invention resides in the package handle elementsand their relationship one to another, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by a drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevation explanatory of a preferred method of making the improved package handle;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view drawn to enlarged scale of a piece of continuous strip used in making handles;

FIG. 3 is a plan view drawn to small scale of a piece of strip forming one handle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a handle applied to a package;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a section through the strip forming the main part of the handle.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIG. 4, the package 12 is provided with a handle 14 for carrying the same. This handle comprises a strip of material having a hole near each end, and an anchor pin 16 at each end, the ends being inserted through holes 18 in the package, and the pins 16 then straddling the holes inside the package.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the strip 14 is preferably a uniform strip of a flexible and somewhat elastic plastic material, which ordinarily is made by extrusion. It has a hole 20 near each end, and the ends are preferably bluntly pointed just outside the holes, as indicated at 22.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the hole 20 is dimensioned to receive an anchor pin 16. The pin is preferably, though not necessarily, made by injection molding a suitable plastics material. It is preferably molded with an annular groove 24 at the middle, and it preferably approximately approximately converges toward the ends, as indicated at 26. The hole 20 in strip 14 is dimensioned to receive the groove 24 with a kind of snap fit, that is, the large diameter of the pin 16 preferably exceeds the diameter of the hole 20, so that the pin must be pushed somewhat forcibly into the hole until it is anchored rather loosely at the groove 24. To assemble the handle structure, it is merely necessary to push an anchor pin into position at each end of the strip 14. To assemble the handle with the package, the pin is held lengthwise against the strip, and both are threaded through the hole 18 in the package, whereupon the handle end springs back and moves the pin to a position transverse to the handle and bridging the hole 18, as shown in FIG. 5, with no chance of escape from the package.

One important problem which is solved by the present handle is that the handle may be wanted in widely varying lengths. For some purposes, for example, in packages of produce handled in wholesale markets, the handle may be eighteen inches long for widely spaced attachment to the box, and for easy rapid handling. In some packages used in retail stores a long strap or handle may he wanted which can be used as a shoulder strap, which requires great length. In practice, the manufacturer of the handle may have to meet orders for handles starting atsix inches and going on upward to a high limit.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the present handle may be made from lengths of uniform strip material 30 drawn from a long reel 32 of such material. The strip may be pulled through a punch press of conventional character, here schematically indicated at 34. Itmay be fed through the press in uniform increments by a suitable feed mechanism 36 having feed wheels 38,

40. The feed may be made adjustable, beginning at say six inches, and extending on upward to a in length.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the punch and die mounted in the press 34 is preferably designed to punch a pair of oppositely disposed V notches 42, 44 which nearly but not quite sever the strip 14. They also punch a pair of holes 46, 48 which straddle the notches 42, 44. It will be understood that the notches and holes correspond to the adjacent ends of two successive handle strips. The connection at the V notches is sufiicient to withstand the pull of the feed rolls 38, 40 (FIG. 1), and thereafter the individual handles are separated at the V notches. The nest of punches for the two holes and the V notches is indicated in FIG. 1 at 50. The same punch and die mechanism serves for handles of any desired length, the only change needed being to change the feed provided by the feed mechanism at 36 (FIG. 1).

The use of an extruded strip minimizes the cost of the material. An additional advantage is that the strip may be provided with a rounded edge or bead which increases the strength of the strip, and which makes it more comfortable to the hand of the person carrying the package Such edge beads are shown at 52 in FIG. 7. The strip used may be a conventional strip which is anyway mann factured in large quantities for other purposes, for example, as a binding or finishing strip, and therefore it may be bought at minimum cost.

The pin may be molded of a linear or one, or a high impact polystyrene may be used, or polypropylene. Other materials may be used.

The extruded strip is preferably made of conventional polyethylene, which is not only flexible but elastic. This elasticity is helpful in two ways. One is that the hole stretches to receive the grooved pin, which then is securely anchored in the strip. The other is that when the pin and strip are slid together through the hole in the number of feet rigid polyethylacross the hole in the package,

the foregoing detailed description. ent that while we have shown and described the invention in a preferred .form, changes maybe made without deing an anehor'pin in each package, the strip end turns'back or straightens, so that 'The present handle may be marketed in several ways.

In one case, the manufacture assembles .the pins and strips and sells the finished handles. In another case, the strip with its V notches and holes is reeled and the material is sold in reel form to the customer, together with a quantity of the molded pins. The purchaser separate the individual handles as they are pulled from the reel, and

inserts the pins before using the handle on a package;

' 'It is believed that the construction, method of assembly, and method of use of our improved package handle,

will be apparent from as well as the advantages thereof, 7

It will also be apparpaiting from the scope of the invention, fined in the following claims.

We claimi 1 I 1. The method of making a package handle which as sought to be deincludes making anchor pins, cutting a desired length of. 'a uniform strip of material from a quantity of such strip .and punching anchor holes. therethrough near the ends of the. strip, and forcing an anchor pin in each hole to' anchor the pin across thestrip.

2. The method of making a package handle of any' making anchor pins, pull- 7 ing-a uniformrstrip of material'from a quantity of such desired length which includes strip and at desired'intervals punching anchorholes there- 'through,cutting a length of said strip just outside said, holes, and inserting an anchor pin in each hole until t-he "pin is anchored in the strip.

3. The method of making a package handle which includes making'an chor pins having an annular groove at cutting. a length of strip just outside said holes, and forchole until the pin is anchored in the strip at said annular groove. f V

4. The method of making a package handle of any desired length which includes molding plastic anchor pins each having an anchor groove at the middle and converg- 4 V V ing toward the ends, pulling a uniform strip of extruded plastic material'from a reel of such strip and at desired intervals punching anchor holes therethrough, cutting a desired handle length of strip outside said hole, and

inserting an anchor pin in each hole until the pin is an' chored in the strip at said annular groove.

5. The method of makinga package handle of any desiredlength which includes making anchor'pins, feed- I .ing a uniform strip through a punch press in feed ina a binding or edging are satisfactory for the present pur- V pose, and are crements corresponding .to .a desired handle length, at

each dwell of said strip punching'a pair of oppositelydisposed cuts which nearly but not quite sever the strip and simultaneously punching a pair of holes straddling said cuts, said cuts and holes corresponding to the adjacent ends of successive handle strips, separating the handles at said cuts, and forcing a pin in each hole until the pin is anchored in said hole.

6. The method of making a package handle of any desired length which includes making anchor pins each having an annular groove at the middle, feeding auni- 7 form strip froma quantity of said strip through 'a punch corresponding to the adjacent ends of successive handle strips, separating the handles at said V notches, and insertw I the middle and converging toward the ends, taking a uniform strip of material from a quantity of such strip and at desired intervals punching anchor holes therethrough, V 1694165 press in feed increments corresponding to. a desired handle length, at each dwell of saidstrip punching a pair of oppositely disposed V notches which nearly but not H quite sever the strip and simultaneouslypunching a pair of holes straddling said notches, said notches and holes ing a pin in-each hole until the pin is anchored at its groove.

' 7. The method of makingia packagehandle of any 7 desired lengthwhich includes molding plastic anchor pins each having an annular groove at the middle and converging toward the ends, feeding a'uniform extruded plastic;

from a reelthrough apunc h press an increments corresponding to a de'siredhandle length, at each dwell of said strip punching a pair of oppositely disposed V notches which, nearly but not quite sever the strip and simultaneously punching a pair of holes straddling said:

notches, said notches and be handles at said V notches, and inserting a pin in until the pin is anchored at itsgroove.

, References Cited byni Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS .l2l1928 Debacherf 3,107,841 10/1963- .Fink ;2,29-s2 H FOREIGNPATENTS 333,619 7/1903 France. 1,340,932 9/1963 France.

BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner.

V 7 es corresponding to the adi V jacent ends of successive handle strips, separating the; each hole 1 L 

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING A PACKAGE HANDLE WHICH INCLUDES MAKING ANCHOR PINS, CUTTING A DESIRED LENGTH OF A UNIFORM STRIP OF MATERIAL FROM A QUANTITY OF SUCH STRIP AND PUNCHING ANCHOR HOLES THERETHROUGH NEAR THE ENDS OF THE STRIP, AND FORCING AN ANCHOR PIN IN EACH HOLE TO ANCHOR THE PIN ACROSS THE STRIP. 